French President Emmanuel Macron has broken his silence on the high-profile defamation lawsuit he and his wife Brigitte Macron filed against U.S. commentator Candace Owens, calling her claims a “relentless and unjustified smear campaign” that forced them to take legal action.
The case, filed last month in Delaware state court, centers on Owens’ repeated assertion that Brigitte Macron was “born a man” — an allegation the couple describes as both false and malicious.
The lawsuit outlines 22 counts, including defamation and malicious falsehood, and seeks damages for the “tremendous harm” caused by Owens’ accusations.
In an interview with Paris Match, President Macron said he felt compelled to respond as the conspiracy gained traction in the United States.
“This has become so widespread in the United States that we had to react,” Macron said, as reported by the Independent UK. “It’s a question of having the truth respected.”
Allegations and Legal Arguments
According to the complaint, Owens first advanced the allegation in March 2024 and later expanded on it in her eight-part podcast series, “Becoming Brigitte.”
The filing claims that the Macrons have endured “relentless bullying on a worldwide scale” and a “campaign of global humiliation” that has invaded their private lives.
The lawsuit also challenges Owens’ credibility, asserting that she has built her brand on “provocation, not truth,” and frequently disseminates misinformation, including conspiracy theories about COVID-19 vaccines.
Balancing Free Speech and Defamation
Macron acknowledged concerns about triggering the “Streisand effect” — the phenomenon in which attempts to suppress a claim inadvertently amplify it — but argued the gravity of Owens’ attacks left no alternative.
“It is not freedom of speech to want to prevent the restoration of the truth,” Macron told Paris Match. “Those who talk to you about this so-called freedom of speech are the ones who ban journalists from the Oval Office. I do not accept this.”
Legal observers note the case highlights the tension between defamation law and free speech across jurisdictions, particularly when European leaders seek redress in U.S. courts, where First Amendment protections are broad.
The Macrons’ legal team is requesting not only damages but also an acknowledgment of the harm caused, arguing that the allegations have undermined their dignity and exposed them to invasive, dehumanizing scrutiny.
